Lookin' for a home-studio amp

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craz

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Hi everyone,

I'm looking for an amp specifically for recording in a studio environment and for song writing etc - but not for gigging with. My style of music is 60's surf (in terms of sound anyway), through a jazzmaster. I'd also like to have a two-speaker amp for miking variety, but the amp wattage doesnt need to be high of course.

I like the Fender Twin Reverb, but its too loud for my purposes. Anyway Id like if youd give me suggestions of suitable Fender amps. I'd like to get something pre-CBS, are the pre CBS versions still reliable after all these years? Pros and Cons are also a great help, and the approx price of yr suggestions helps too.

Anyway advice very much appreciated,

Thanks,

Barry.
 
As far as I'm concerned, vintage Fender stuff is just too noisy for studio use. This assumes that they've been rebuilt, and if not they'll be even worse. I'm going to redo my 1950 Fender Pro soon, but have no illusions about it ever being quiet enough for studio use.

You don't really say if you play clean or distorted, but my own preference for studio amps now for clean work are for good solid-states, my absolute favorite being a Roland Cube 20 from the '80s, with the second being a Fender Princeton Stereo Chorus. Some people use Fender tube Champs, but everyone complains about their noise when they do.

My tube amps have never really been satisfactory for my recording due to their noise and the volume levels required to get them really going, so I use J-Edit/J-Station for most of the more tube-sounding stuff.
 
pre- CBS would definitley give you better tone due to point to point wiring and other factors. They really do have a more desirable sound than the newer fast production models. If you have the money get one and hold on to it. After all the years its been around the amp might have to be recaped. Capacitors needs to be replaced.
 
> pre- CBS would definitley give you better tone due to point to
> point wiring

What gives you this idea?

Actually, most vintage Fenders aren't PTP but stripboarded, which is inherently noiser. In any case, there is no reason whatsoever that a PCB amp will have better or worse tone than a PTP wired amp. If it's designed badly and built with cheap components it'll be worse, but that's not because it uses PCBs.

Amp engineers have told me that major manufacturers do not use PTP wiring in their amps any more because it's essentially impossible to get a current UL rating with PTP. I don't know if that's absolutely true on not, but it's widely claimed.

Check this site out for a quick education on the actual differences between amps made with different construction methods:

Comparison of Circuitry
 
Sorry.. I dont need the education course.

I have my book "A Desktop Reference of Hip Vintage Guitar Amps" By Gerald Weber

humble yourself my friend
 
thanks for the info everyone,

i play clean instrumental guitar and if I do need distortion, i use my turbo rat - i broke the volume knob for the overdrive channel on my current amp and never missed it. :)

some ppl are saying the twin might be worth rethinking about, for clean stuff. How loud will I have to play this amp for it to sound good enough for recording?? - will it wake the dead? - ppl talk about the "sweet spot" does this vary from model to model or what? and where in the volume range does this lie.

THe type of music I play is melodic and "peaceful" - like early 60's surf or other instrumental forms - with lots of let rings and tremelo - I'm sick of my amp and am looking for something sweet. Are Vintage Fenders noisy?, and if so how come they have been used on so many records without this noise being carried to the final record? I get the feeling that the twin is very much designed as a live amp, but would guys who use this amp, substitute it for something else when recording.

Anyway, keep the suggestions coming - its a great help. ;)
 
Thanks for the help everyone, I'm rather confused in relation to what i should be looking at. I've done my research and discovered that most of my "idols" use the twin live, but I've no idea as to whether they substitute it with something else when in the studio.

Anyway, heres a link to an mp3 clip (190k) which should give ppl and idea of what I'm after.

Thanks again everyone :).
 
if you cant stretch for the dollars to get yourself a blackface deluxe amp with reverb the 60,s issue that is then have a good long look at this amp from reverend the hellhound40/60 the guys who made this amp know their stuff when it comes to building good amps and at $599usd there are some pretty nice options on this combo it should cover most if not all the sounds you seek then some :))))

http://www.reverenddirect.com/
 
The Twin is just horrendously too loud for home studio stuff unless you're living alone somewhere out in the boondocks. It's also too noisy at low volumes and doesn't even begin to really do its thing until the windows start flying out and the sheetrock starts cracking.

I bought a new Evil Twin last year and haven't even had it on except to test it. Even in low-power mode it's too loud. It's a gigging amp for fairly large venues.
 
craz,

Get a Fender Vibrolux if you can find one. Same sound less wattage and it is perfect for home studio environments. Much lighter than the twin, 2-10s vs. 2-12s. Sounds great at low volumes.

JMarcomb,

Gerald Webber rocks. I have the same book and used it to add a master overdrive to my vibrolux.
 
I need to retube it, buuut... I dig my '70s Fender Princeton Reverb... niiiiice. And they're not TOO pricey, and not as loud as a twin. You can get a better "cranked" sound quieter through a Princeton Reverb than a Twin, you're right. Twins are just too loud for "apartment-type" recording *LOL*.

Like this one... However, this one has been modded to hell and back.

This is mine... basically... same logo and all.. check 'em out, they're nice. I've owned mine for 8 years now, got it for my 13th birthday, and loved it ever since.
 
The Princetone rev is a great suggestion, go for that one!

Don`t pay attention to the others claiming Fender amps is too noisy to record with, they obvioulsy don`t know what they are talking about. btw, Fenders are one of the most recorded amps in history.

Amund
 
Craz, have you considered a "monster-in-a-box? You like the twin reverb, but it's too loud when cranked, you say? Build a plywood box big enough, line it with several layers of carpet remnants, put an Sm57 or whatever mic on a mini-boom in there with it, crank the shit out of the amp if you want to, and bolt it shut. It's cheaper than buying a new amp, and you already know you like the sound. It's been a standard solution for many years. Frankly, for clean surf music, I would probably just turn the amp down. The twin reverb has been a studio staple for many years. I don't really think you need a new amp for this purpose.-Richie
 
LOL richard, that sounds like the perfect solution - you certainly wouldnt have to worry about wall reflection anyway.

I dont actually own a Twin...sorry if I didnt make that clear - I'm just considering my first Fender amp.

Theres a link below to a recording (its only 190kB) which has the sound and tone I'm after - are Princeton, Deluxe, Vibrolux, and Twin Reverb all capable of this kind sound - when playing through them with a Jazzmaster.

Thanks.

 
I've played everything from blues to jazz to metal to surf with my Princeton Reverb. *hugs his amp*


Neve said:
The Princetone rev is a great suggestion, go for that one!

Don`t pay attention to the others claiming Fender amps is too noisy to record with, they obvioulsy don`t know what they are talking about. btw, Fenders are one of the most recorded amps in history.

Amund
Click to expand...
 
> Don`t pay attention to the others claiming Fender amps is too
> noisy to record with, they obvioulsy don`t know what they are
> talking about. btw, Fenders are one of the most recorded amps
> in history.

I didn't say they were too noisy to record with, I said they were too noisy to record with in the context of this discussion, i.e. the home studio environment where one typically has to work at extremely low volumes. The high level of idle hiss on most tube amps, especially vintage ones and high-wattage ones (or both) create a noise floor problem for the typical home studio. There are engineering work-arounds, but the noise is a pain no matter what.

Orange is making a new 5W studio tube amp that's just great...unfortunately, it's $170 per each of those five watts.

Ouch!:(
 
I have one of the newer type Fender twins, "The Twin" I love it to death but I recently put a decent speaker in an old solid state and while it doesn't touch the Fender for gigs its great for recording, the dry sound seems to suit recording, christ knows why but who cares, it works.
 
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